I know it might come as a bit of a surprise, but I don’t think of Shakugan no Shana as a really excellent series. While the characters got to be quite interesting, the music was fantastic, and the visuals remained very strong throughout, the whole thing felt empty to me, kinda like Hecate. So many storylines were started and then ignored that every time they started a new intriguing story I despaired knowing that I’d never learn the resolution. What I will admit, however, is that the show really started to turn it around towards the end, and the final episode was wonderful. This series really needed more episodes to adequately wrap up the story, and I’m not sure if the upcoming movie will be enough.
It’s rare that a series would be greatly improved by the addition of more flashbacks and episodes, but the main strike against Shakugan no Shana is that it kept leaving me hanging. Shakugan no Shana dragged through the first half, but then the second half suddenly laid the foundation for a really intriguing and deep storyline that actually incorporated little elements of the boring first half. Is it fair to criticize a series for setting the bar high and then failing to achieve its potential? I think so, especially with the way it kept happening in Shakugan no Shana. I have to admit that I didn’t really like Shana that much, but I didn’t penalize the series for that. It just bothers me a little how she is so weak as a fighter, but I guess she is still a bit of a newbie.
But enough of the bad, let’s move on to the redeeming features. The music was excellent throughout the series, and has to be tabbed as a major reason why the Shana-tan bit was so damn funny. The art style was great as well, and remained strong throughout, insuring that Shana will always have a place in wallpaper collections. The best part of Shakugan no Shana, however, was the cast. Almost every one of the characters was fun to follow, and many of them exhibited a decent amount of character growth. Even Yuuji was kinda cool towards the end, and when the harem male leads the way, it really inspires everyone else to step up their game. Marjorie was my favorite character in the series, and for a support character she got a nice backstory and set of flaws; unfortunately they were never really explained or resolved. Everyone else managed to fit into the flow, and the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.
All in all, I consider Shakugan no Shana a slightly above average series that starting building something great at the end and completely ran out of time. Someone please extend this series!
Kabitzin’s Rating: 3.5/5
Related posts:
24 Comments
Well to be fair, the story ISN”T OVER. We’ve only gotten to a convenient stopping point for the anime.
The next storyline in the novels (and with any luck the one the movie covers) told the story of the Previous Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite, Wilhelmina and Merihim.
After that there are still several storyarcs to be told, and the novels are still going.
As for Margery, well…she still hasn’t found Silver, so they COULDN’T just go and resolve that.
Yep Yep… There’s still coming movie. That was said in ending credits.
I can see where you’re coming from about the first half but I think I enjoyed the series so much more because I only picked it up halfway and marathoned the first half. Feeling tempted to pick up the manga already…
4/5 from me, I’d give it the extra half point – I agree with pretty much all you wrote so far, but I can’t hold the “leaving us hanging” against it. Simply because it’s clear that the story WILL go on. And 24 gave us some decent semi-closure for a stop in the middle.
You know, the first anime series, there more like a prologue because the 1st series, their actual name is “Shakugan no Shana: Prelude to Shana.” So starting from the 2nd series, it will be the real series, and also, I’ve seen in the art book, that there will be some more new characters coming up, and as for the novel, there are about 12 books now, including Shakugan no Shana zero, and I’m pretty sure that the anime series will go on as much as about Inu-Yasha, or even better, almost like Detective Conan
I hope not
That’s sure formula for stagnation
I’ve got to say it is one of the best anime series that I have seen so far, and I have seen alot of anime. I do hope this doesn’t end up like another Inuyasha-type anime :\ although I do like Inuyasha somewhat the whole story line in it is…bleh
I cannot wait to see the movie when it comes out, and I hope to see a continuation of the series and for the love of god I want to see Yuji kiss Shanna! I was hoping that they would at the end of Episode 24 but no, they cheap you out and leave you hangin! *sighs* oh well, maybe they will in the movie…
I have to tell that I LOVED this anime, it’s by fav until now. It was really well done, you can actualy see Shana’s feelings developing (just compare the episodes’ 1/2 Shana with episodes’ 20 or so Shana). I don’t think that the first half of the series was boring as a matter of fact, most people don’t have patience to see animes that start with a deep storyline (it’s not my case though, I love Noir and for those who know this anime you understand what I mean, altough I know few people that like this anime everybody thinks that is very boring without any sence of humor)but Shakugan fortunately for some, unfortunately for others is not the case.
And I don’t think that Shana is weak I do know that she gets hit a lot but she isn’t the wonder women or something. And it would be boring if she was like Power Rangers: gets hit one time, call the robot and kicks the enemy big time = boring.
This anime has everything we need: amazing artwork, famous seiyuu, great OST, humour, drama, battles. I give a 100%.
By the way,Freezer90, it’s true that there will be at least one new character (fighting Shana) she appears in the novel. But don’t count on the art book because it also has characters from games , etc. Example: That samurai that looks like Shana is from a game called “Dancing Sword”. It is an art book from all the works the artist did, not only Shana.
Ah shoot! I posted in the wrong entry. I guess this is what happens when you try submitting a post at 1:40am… OMG! I spent 40mins typing this out?!?!
~~~~ ~~~~
“Just finished watching a marathon session of SnS. 24 episodes within 12hrs is very taxing on the eyes… forgive me if I ramble a bit in this post. Typing at 1am is not very conducive for… for… erm… rationalcompetent writing?
I initially put off watching SnS for the sole reason that I was already watching other anime, and harddisk space has its’ limitations; but I could not help but notice the number of Shana references in animeblogs though. Ranging from Melonpan to polls on favourite females. It helped that Eclipse put out a batch torrent.
Soooo… thoughts that come to mind after watching SnS.
Screw this, I’m gonna Ctrl+X this to Notepad instead.
..) Chi-gu-san for the win. Best. Anime. Mom. EVER! I was actually surprised that you did not made mention of Chigusan owning Wilhelmina in the ED of Ep24. When a woman can talk down a Demi-God and totally wipes the floor with an ice-queen meido, you just know that you have a winner. She should become a Flame Haze called the Diplomatic Queen of Motherhood or something. She could probably make errant Tomo-wassitnames repent through speech alone.
..) I fail to see what Kazumi sees in Yuuji. I really, really do. Oh well, love works in mysterious ways.
..) Where the heck did Yuuji get the strength of lift up Blut-swacker(?)?!?! Why does no one want Blutswacker when it is so powerful? Blow for blow, it beats the flaming katana to the next eon.
..) Whose damned idea was it to portray certain characters SOOOO prominently in both OPs and shaft them in actual screentime? Khamsin and Hecate comes immediately to mind. Friagne was also majorly screwed in terms of episode count, considering his strong presence in the first OP. Just compare the number of Friagne scenes to the other characters in the first OP. It becomes a joke when they continue to run the first OP for more episodes AFTER his death than before.
I hate, really HATE this kind of misleading advertisements.
Not since FMAlchemist have I been so frustrated over this sort of OP.
“OMG! Greed looks so cool fighting Al! Oh wait… Greed is… erm… dead… after… one… erm… this sucks.”
Oh no… I’m raving now… breathe in… breathe out… in… out…
..) I can’t help but think of Paper Masters when I watch Wilhelmina fight…
..) Has some of the best breakarts in recent anime.
..) The Professor just humours me with his crazy inventions, especially the meaningless transformation scenes. Also transforms standard anime plothole into actual plothole-filler.
“What is the result of doing all this?”
“We don’t know! That’s why we’re doing it! Hahahaha!”
It just cracks me up. Saves the scriptwriters lots of agony.
..) I suspect the reason why Wilhelmina does not teach Shana cooking is because Wilhelmina sucks at cooking too. I mean, come on. The clues are all there. Wilhelmina microwaves lunch for Shana for crying out loud!
Overall, SnS has been a blast to watch, and I only regret that I am unable to find a working link for Shana-Tan.”
The Quuen of OCT now has finished.
Waiting 2nd season“““““““““““`
i hope there would be a 2nd season after the first…..the story is somewhat exciting……
neeeeed 2nd season…..hate kazumi…want to see yuji and shana get together…the episode where shana gets all dressed up to go to the festival with yuji really made me feel sad for shana
does anyone know a website that i can find out about the movie??
As much as I agree that a second season is needed. I don’t see them doing anything in that direction. maybe they’re waiting to see if the movie is a success? I sure hope they do …
Apparently an OVA is out this month, and a movie in due out in Spring 2007.
Shakugan no shana is one of my FAVOURITE animes. I really hope that the 2nd season comes out soon and the movie.Can anyone tell me what the 2nd season is called?? Or is it the same title name Shakugan no shana?
i really love this anime a lot, and i hope the second season comes out soon so i can watch it. i really hope that yuuji and shana will get together at last. kasumi can choose yuuji’s best friend since he likes her.
well, theres still the movie and what really is good are, the producers are making a season 2 which is way too cool…..and i don think tis anime deserve such a low rating ….the best part is the graphic which is really beautiful….tis movie is recommended by me but tis is just my opinion..the 2nd season is called ~shakugan no shana 2~i am really so into tis series….
i hope the 2nd season could be release real soon but..i dont think that it will be release soon since they are producing the manga……
I can only expect that the second season of Shakugan no Shana will deal with the Silver. Show ▼
You go Skane! And yeah, Yuji’s mom is arguably the only mom in anime to actually play a significant role…
Um………. can u tell me when is Shakagan no Shana 2nd Season is going to come out!!!!!! PLZ tell me when!!!!!!! ^ . ^
October 5th
Hey are you guys following what happenned in SnSII?? Shana’s mom is sick! No! She’s so sweet….she can’t possibly die, now or later on….
who know
…..plz can u teLL me wen shakugan no shana 3 wiLL out on nationwide bcoz i am a fan of that………..